This week, with the launch of the refreshed #YouCanAdopt campaign, which hopes to encourage more people to consider adopting groups of brothers and sisters, pop star and adoptive mother Sinitta sits down with Hafsa and James to talk about their experience of adopting brothers.

Latest figures show there are currently 2,030 children waiting to be adopted in England and, of those, 44% are in family groups of two or more. With family groups of children taking an average of 17 months to be adopted, brothers and sisters typically take 36% longer to be adopted than individual children. This episode explores the huge benefits and potential challenges of adopting family groups, and dives deep into the journey that Sinitta, Hafsa and James went through when they adopted their children. They talk through the adoption process, how they came to the decision to adopt brothers and sisters together, and how they are adapting to their new family life.

Hafsa and James began their adoption journey as foster carers, and after struggles with IVF, last year made the leap to adoption. A mixed heritage couple, Hafsa is Pakistani and James is African Caribbean, they sought children who as closely as possible matched their ethnicities, and were able to adopt two little boys to grow their family.

Sinitta had had similar struggles with IVF and with surrogates, before she adopted a brother and sister in 2007, and has been a vocal advocate for adoption ever since.

To learn more, please visit www.youcanadopt.co.uk/brothersandsisters, where you can also view the new campaign film.

Expert help and support is available via PAC-UK, the country’s largest independent adoption support agency. They work with all of those affected by adoption and other forms of permanent care to provide advice, support, specialist therapy and counselling. For more information please visit: www.PAC-UK.orgor call 020 7284 5879.